This invention relates to locking mechanisms and in particular those that are useful with liquid dispensing apparatus.
In dispensing fluids, such as soft drinks, it has been found convenient to provide a nozzle assembly which has a lever, wherein movement of the lever will cause activation of one or more valves to dispense the fluid. In the case of a softdrink dispensing nozzle assembly, there are two lines, one for the soft drink syrup, and one for the carbonated water. These two lines enter the nozzle assembly and meet at a mixing chamber, wherein the syrup and carbonated water are put in solution for dispensing. The syrup line and carbonated water line each have a solenoid and valve assembly associated therewith, which will permit passage of the respective fluid into the mixing chamber upon activation by the individual dispensing the fluid.
It is often necessary to clean the nozzle assembly or change the nozzle assembly depending upon the type of fluid that is being dispensed. In the past, this was a cumbersome and inefficient procedure. First, it was necessary to turn off the lines feeding the nozzle assembly at the storage tank. The nozzle assembly could then be disconnected from the feed lines and replaced. The fluid left in the feed lines often spilled during this procedure, creating both an unsightly and unsanitary condition.
It has long been known that a plurality of these nozzle assemblies could be mounted on a wall to permit the dispensing of multiple flavored fluids, such as soft drinks. As in the previous case, the removal of these nozzle assemblies from the wall for either cleaning or replacement, often created numerous problems.
In addition to cleaning and repair, it is often useful to remove the nozzle assembly from the supply lines for the purpose of permitting easy movement of the fluid dispensing apparatus. Again, numerous problems existed with regard to effectively shutting off the flow of fluid without waste or uncontrolled flow.
Lastly, many new types of nozzle assemblies have been developed for use in the dispensing of various fluids. It is thus desirable to have a rapid and sanitary procedure to change nozzle assemblies.